Cultural flora of the central part of the Belorussian Polesje: modern composition, botanical diversity, economic importance

In the article, an assessment of the diversity of the cultural flora was carried out for a separate natural region of Belarus (central part of the Belorussian Polesje). Currently, 974 species of vascular plants are cultivated here in conditions of open soil. They are combined into 536 genera and 128 families. Among the cultivated species, 106 taxa are aboriginal, and 868 are adventitive with respect to the flora of the southern part of Belarus. These species have different ecological and biological properties, origin, time and method of drift into the territory under consideration, which explains their different economic significance and use. The most numerous (802 species) are now ornamental plants, the group of medicinal plants includes 266 species, food – 216, technical – 143, etc. A number of species have a negative economic significance: 121 taxa can exhibit the properties of weeds, and 66 – are poisonous to humans and animals. Modern trends in the development of the cultural flora of the central part of the Belorussian Polesje are manifested in the constant increase in the number of cultivated species due to the introduction of new (mainly ornamental) plants.